What are the main responsibilities of your job?
Scheduling, ordering, hiring & firing, catering, cooking, cleaning, taking out the trash, keeping social media up to date, making newsletters, lettering chalkboards, new menu items, whatever it takes! Anything that needs to be done I do. There is nothing that I feel I am too good to do. I do whatever I need to do to continue to run a successful business.
Take us through an average day at work. What does your typical schedule look like?
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I play catch up from the weekend. That could be scheduling caterings, shipping pies, making a schedule, or any of the other numerous things that need to be done. Thursday-Sunday I am usually in the kitchen cooking the food right next to my amazing husband. I also could be out front chatting with our long time customers or running the door on a busy Saturday afternoon.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
-Building long lasting relationships with customers
-Making a difference in peoples lives through food, pie, and good conversation.
-Creating new things - whether it be a new pie, a new side dish, or something interior related that will enhance one of our 3 locations.
-Making a difference in peoples lives through food, pie, and good conversation.
-Creating new things - whether it be a new pie, a new side dish, or something interior related that will enhance one of our 3 locations.
What don’t you like about your job? (That you can say without getting yourself fired!)
Doesn’t matter what I say… I can’t get fired! The drama, crossing the boundaries between family, friends, and employees. AND most of all not getting to see my sweet sons almost every weekend.
I assume this wasn’t your first job straight out of college? What other jobs or experience did you need in order to make you qualified for what you’re doing now?
Well….. you assumed wrong! Haha! This was my first job right outta the womb! My family has owned this restaurant for 27 years and I have been here ever since I was 12. I have learned A LOT! I believe I am a very strong, hard-working woman and I learned everything I know right here!
What do you typically wear to work? Is there a dress code?
On a typical day I wear a Royers t-shirt (with the neck cut out, of course!) jeans, flip flops, boots somedays I wear sweat pants! Turquoise jewelry, big flower in my hair! We have freedom to express ourselves and be royeresque. Just depends on the day.
What made you want to go into the field you are in? Have you always known it was the career that you wanted to pursue? Or did you stumble into the work you’re doing now.
Like I said before I have been here since I was 12 years old. I didn’t choose this but I do love it. There are days I want to quit and just be at home, be normal (whatever that may be these days) but at the end of the day I love my job. This is where God wanted for me to be and I believe that with all that I have. I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world. If I didn’t love what I do I would have been gone a long time ago!
What misconceptions do you think people have about your job?
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| photography by april pizana |
That I have tons of money. That we live in a mansion. That I don’t work Monday-Wednesday because we are closed. That I come here and turn a sign and everything is ready to go. That I can take off whenever I want. Owning a restaurant is not as simple as people think. It is a lot of work! We just do a REALLY good job of hiding all of the busy work from our customers.
Best moment of your career so far?
Honestly I really believe that it's getting to work alongside my dad and brothers. I work side-by-side with my husband everyday and LOVE it. Building a legacy for my children and nieces. I am not saying that we always see eye to eye on everything but at the end of the day we are all family and that is what matters the most.
What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?
I honestly wouldn't change anything. If I hadn't taken the path I was on I wouldn't be who I am today...now i'm sure I could have listened and made better choices and I wouldn’t have had to go such a long tough route but it has made me who I am today and I think that I have been blessed beyond measure.
How would you like to see your career grow? What are your current career aspirations? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In the past 2 years we have opened 2 new Pie Havens. One in Round Top and the other in Austin, Texas. I would like to continue to expand the Pie Haven throughout central Texas and then across the country. Get our name out there everywhere. I truly believe what we have and what we do is good stuff! Everyone should be able to go down the street and grab a piece of our fab pie (savory or sweet) any time they want. In 5 years I plan on having 10+ Pie Havens and maybe even a factory to make the pies in. The “Pie” is the limit! I want to be in everyone’s living room on tv and show them what a God loving family we are. That we work really hard to make others happy. It is all about the customers and relationships we build at the café. To make them happy, not only because the food and the pie are so good but because we made a difference in their lives.